Moderation involves professional dialogue to ensure that practitioner judgements are consistent with nationally agreed exemplifications. It is a supportive process designed to:

• develop practitioner confidence
• ensure that assessment is fair and consistent for all children
• ensure all parties can have confidence in the accuracy and reliability of information provided.

Achieving comparability involves practitioners working with each other throughout the year, supported by an annual programme of activity organised by local authorities, with the aim of finding consistency not only within an area but between all areas of the country.

Parameters for the focus of and balance of moderation are included in the Local authority moderation requirements booklet, published annually usually in January.  

QCA also publishes an annual report on the results of the process. The most recent, Implementation and moderation of the foundation stage profile 2006, can be downloaded from the right hand column of this page.

If you are interested in becoming a moderator you should contact the appropriate local authority. Typically you would be either a well-qualified and effective practitioner or a local authority adviser/officer with appropriate early years experience.